Waitlist FAQ

Oregon State University offers a limited number of applicants a place on our waitlist. An offer on our waitlist indicates that a student is academically qualified to enroll at Oregon State, but due to constraints on the number of new students we can enroll, an offer of admission cannot be made until it is clear how many previously admitted students are planning to attend.

Why is a waitlist necessary?

The applicant pool at Oregon State has become more and more competitive each year. In addition, our enrollments have grown. In order to preserve the student experience at Oregon State, a more competitive admissions process – including the use of a waitlist, is necessary.

I’ve been offered a spot on the waitlist. What do I do now?

Students who are offered a place on the waitlist and still wish to attend Oregon State should accept the offer. This is the best option for students for whom Oregon State is their first choice school. Students who have been admitted to their first choice school should not accept a spot on our waitlist.

To accept a spot on the waitlist, students must complete the waitlist confirmation form online by April 15th. Submitting this form signifies their intent (non-binding) to enroll at Oregon State University should they be admitted from the waitlist. The form should also be used to update your decision to remain on the waitlist, should your intent change prior to getting a final decision. Instructions on where to find the form will be sent with the student's formal waitlist offer.

Students ARE NOT required pay Oregon State University’s Advance Tuition Deposit (ATD) or any other deposit to be on the waitlist. Students offered admission from the waitlist that accept our offer will be required to pay the ATD at that time.

How does Financial Aid work for students on the waitlist?

Students on the waitlist should apply for financial aid like any other prospective new student. Oregon State University’s Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships makes financial aid offers to any qualifying prospective student regardless if they have been admitted. This allows students to know their financial aid eligibility at Oregon State while awaiting a decision. See http://oregonstate.edu/financialaid/apply-aid for more information on applying for financial aid.

Are students on the waitlist ranked?

No. There are a number of factors we consider when making admission decisions in order to ensure we put together a new student class that meets the goals we have in any given year. Decisions to offer admission from the waitlist are, in part, dependent on the profile of the admitted students who are, and are not, planning to enroll at Oregon State following the May 1st enrollment confirmation deadline.

How many will be offered admission from the waitlist?

Oregon State’s current admission selection process is new to us this year. We do not have historical data to predict the number of students that will be offered admission from our waitlist. While we cannot guarantee that students will end up getting admitted from the waitlist, our goal is to minimize the number of students offered a spot on our waitlist.

When will I hear if I am admitted from the waitlist?

Admission offers from the waitlist are based on the results of the May 1 enrollment deposit deadline for those students who were already admitted. Therefore, waitlisted students should hear of their admission status after sometime between May 1 and June 1.

Students who have been denied admission have the opportunity to appeal their admission decision via our Extended Admissions process. Because students on the waitlist are not denied, they must await the results of the waitlist process before appealing through the Extended Admissions process. Students who are offered a spot on the waitlist and do not accept their spot on the waitlist will not be allowed to appeal via the Extended Admissions process.

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Each year, Oregon State University publishes an Annual Security Report to comply with the requirements of the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act. The report includes statistics for the previous three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Oregon State University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning sexual assault, and other matters. This year's report is available in printed form by contacting the Oregon State University, Department of Public Safety, which is located in room 200, Cascade Hall, 601 SW 17th Street, Corvallis, OR 97331. The report may also be found on the University's Department of Public Safety website.